By Bonface Mulyungi
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has arrived in Ethiopia to lead the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) ahead of the country’s general Elections scheduled for June 1, 2026.
The African Union announced the deployment of the mission at the invitation of the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, with Uhuru serving as its head.
The mission will observe the electoral process and assess the conduct of the polls in line with continental and international democratic standards.
Speaking to the press upon his arrival in Addis Ababa, Uhuru underscored the significance of the elections not only for Ethiopia but also for the wider African continent.
“As you know, Ethiopia is home to our continental organisation, the African Union, and therefore the election here is important not just for Ethiopia, but for the entire continent,” he said.
The leader said the mission was looking forward to witnessing the voting process and expressed hope for a peaceful exercise.
“We are very happy to be here amongst our brothers and sisters and to witness the voting that shall take place on Monday,” he said.
“Our call is really for a peaceful situation, as Ethiopians are known for, and for people to wisely make their choice so that Ethiopia can continue to grow from strength, which would be our dream and our desire as a model for our continent.”
The former Head of State also highlighted the broader role played by the African Union in election observation across the continent.
“The African Union participates, observes, and monitors various elections across the continent. The objective is to deepen democracy,” he said.
He concluded by wishing Ethiopia success as it heads to the polls.
According to the African Union, the mission comprises 73 short-term observers drawn from 37 African countries.
The delegation includes ambassadors accredited to the African Union, election management officials, civil society representatives, election experts, human rights specialists, gender and media experts, as well as youth representatives.
The observers are expected to be deployed across different regions of Ethiopia to monitor key stages of the electoral process on polling day.
Their duties will include observing the opening of polling stations, voting procedures, the closing of polls, and the counting and tabulation of votes.
The African Union said the observation mission forms part of its continued efforts to promote democratic governance, credible elections and political stability across member states.
Election observation missions are routinely deployed by the continental body to provide an independent assessment of electoral processes and support member states in strengthening democratic institutions.
The AU mission is expected to release preliminary findings after polling before issuing a comprehensive final report on the conduct of the elections and its observations.
